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Drink it up

A few months back, I instituted a change in my morning routine: I have a glass of water and a piece of fruit before I allow myself that coveted cup of coffee. For many reasons, I needed this change. The results have been noticeable and I’m so glad I’ve incorporated this habit.

There are mornings, however, when the prospect of peeling an orange or cutting an apple or seeding a pomegranate make me groan and think meekly “maybe I can skip it today?” But nope!

Enter: smoothies.

My family is no stranger to smoothies. Thanks to my BFF in the whole wide kitchen…

my beloved Kitchen Aid immersion blender, aka Magic

…smoothies are a cinch and have been a regular in my son’s diet since he was itty bitty. Our smoothie-making habits go in fits and starts, however, and we hadn’t made them in a while. My brother made them for the kids when we visited last week and, since then, we’re making them more and more.

This week I discovered a new favorite (for me!). Blend:

1 fresh banana

¾ cup orange juice

½ cup plain yogurt

Drizzle of vanilla

It tastes like an Orange Julius! Does anyone remember those from childhood?? (Yeah, there are still a few scattered in Midwest malls but the drinks don’t taste like they used to!)

The kids aren’t too crazy about my new favorite. They prefer their standby:

1 frozen or fresh banana

1 cup of frozen blueberries

½ cup plain yogurt or a couple splashes of milk

Drizzle of vanilla

If the fruit is frozen, the end result is almost like a fruity milkshake which they love.

Their other favorite (though they get it less often) is:

1 frozen banana

½ c. yogurt

Drizzles of chocolate syrup

Drizzle of vanilla

Again, it’s like a milkshake. I also like that one with peanut butter (mmm….) but the pb has a tendency to stick to the blender (gah!).

In the event I make too much smoothie mix, we’ve sometimes frozen the remainder in popsicle molds or just in a bowl. When they want a snack, we defrost it a bit and mix it up like a slushie. Yay, healthy, easy treat!

Lastly, at the other but arguably no-less-healthy end of the spectrum, I would be remiss if I did not mention my other new favorite drink. I love chocolate–not that crappy, supersweet milk “chocolate” crap; I love deep, dark, almost bitter chocolate. Perfection in a mug? Look no further than Mexican hot chocolate. Read here for how to make this divine (and good for you!) drink at home. So good.